Ormiston Horizon Academy

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We provide for the following kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND):

Ormiston Horizon Academy is a maintained mainstream school for students from

the ages of 11 to 16 years.  The school caters for students with a range of additional needs including cognition and learning, communication and interaction, social, emotional, mental health and physical and sensory impairments. 

We identify and assess students with SEND using the following methods:

All students follow a broad and balanced curriculum that is appropriate to their age and stage of development. We identify children with special educational needs and disabilities by gathering information from primary schools, analysing SAT results and carrying out our own baseline assessments. Such testing includes reading and spelling assessments, Wide Range Achievement Testing (WRAT 5), British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS) testing (to give a receptive vocabulary age) and a wide range of testing for Social, Emotional, Mental Health needs, including the Boxall Profile and the SDQ questionnaire. We also offer dyslexia and dyscalculia screening tests, lesson observations and on-going monitoring of academic and social and emotional achievement. We also ask for advice from our SEND advisory service and Educational Psychology service, plus a range of other multi-agency groups.

If a student is not making the progress expected their parent/carer will be involved as soon as possible. We will discuss our concerns with the parent/carer and student to gather their views about:

• The student’s strengths and areas of difficulty
• Concerns that the parent/carer and student may have
• Agreed outcomes
• Agreed next steps

We evaluate the effectiveness of our SEND provision in the following ways:

The academy follows the guidelines within the SEND Code of Practice (2014), this outlines a model of assess, plan, do and review to help students who have Special

Educational Needs and Disabilities. This approach recognises that there is a continuum of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities; where necessary, increased specialist expertise will be sought in order to support the difficulties that a student may be experiencing.

Each student’s progress is continually tracked by their subject teacher. Regularly throughout the year, students are assessed and the data is analysed to ensure expected progress is being made.  All students with SEND have a student passport which is generated following consultation with teaching staff, parents/carers and the young person; this will detail areas of strengths and weakness and identify targets. The student passport will then be distributed to class teachers to ensure support given is tailored to your child’s individual needs. The student passport will be reviewed with parents/carers and the young person twice a year to ensure we work together to gather as detailed a picture as possible, which is reflective of the ever-changing needs of our students.

If a need is identified your child may be supported in class by a Learning Support Practitioner, who will, along with the class teacher, ensure that the curriculum is adapted so that your child can fully access it and achieve their full potential.

Our arrangements for assessing and reviewing the progress of students with SEND are as follows:

Your child may be identified as requiring a specialist programme. We offer a wide range of interventions to support the development of literacy, numeracy, speech, language, communication needs, English as an additional language and Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties.

All programmes are carefully monitored; baseline testing is gathered at the start and evaluated termly to ensure the intervention is effective and our students are progressing. In addition to this, we may refer students for outside agency specialist support if we feel this is necessary. At every stage, you as a parent/carer will be informed and consulted with to ensure a close working relationship is maintained.

Our approach to teaching students with SEND includes:

The academy is inclusive and ensures that all schemes of learning are adapted to meet the individual needs of your child. At key stage three we have mixed ability groupings and a Horizon group with targeted support for students with specific learning difficulties. We aim to help students access the curriculum independently, whilst always challenging them and promoting success.  Learning Support Practitioners within the classroom support and promote independent learning, ensuring the national curriculum is delivered in an appropriate format which individual students can access and understand. These members of support staff are familiar with the curriculum learning journeys and knowledge organisers. This helps to support student learning, to increase confidence and maintain progress.

Students may also receive one to one or small group support, as well as being supported before and after school at our Homework Club. Some interventions take place during the academy day, but where possible we try to avoid extracting students from their timetabled lessons.

 Additionally, we have a Thrive room to support students who struggle with self-regulation. This room is their opportunity to calm down, reflect and reset.

Training for staff:

The academy has a commitment to continuous staff training and development with regard to meeting the individual needs of all students within the classroom. We are committed to maintaining and improving the level of staff expertise in this area. All staff within school are trained in SEND awareness with support from the Local Authority SEND advisory team, outside agencies and the Educational Psychology team. Our CPD programme provides teaching and support staff opportunities to develop their skills to support students with SEND.

We adapt the curriculum for students with SEND in the following ways:

Our curriculum is fully inclusive to ensure our SEND students have the opportunity to access a range of ambitious subjects, including a modern foreign language, three sciences and humanities. At GCSE we have a range of vocational subjects that include health and social care, hospitality and catering, and construction. Forest Schools, the Garden School, NHS Cadets and AQA Awards are other examples of ways we aim to make our curriculum interesting and engaging for our students with SEND.

The following social, emotional and mental health support is available for students with SEND:

As well as providing academic support this academy also provides emotional and social support for students. This can include:

• Individual mentoring
• Emotion Coaching
• Social skills
• Behaviour Mentor
• Counsellor 
• Self-esteem interventions
• Thrive pass
• Hub access

The name of our SEND Co-ordinator (SENCo) is: Julie Marsh (Assistant Principal)

The SENCo responsible for the day to day operation of the academy’s Special Educational Needs Policy:

• The deployment of support staff
• Liaising with and advising fellow teachers
• Initial assessment and diagnosis of students including liaison with primary feeder schools
• Advising and arranging CPD with regard to SEND issues
• Taking the lead in managing provision for students in Key stage 3 and 4
• Updating and overseeing the records of all students with Special Educational Needs
• Working in partnership with parents of students with Special Educational Needs
• Liaising with external agencies including the educational psychology service, and other support agencies, medical, social services and voluntary bodies
• Making referrals for an Education, Health and Care Plan and providing sufficient evidence
• Making special arrangements for SEND students taking and GCSE and Btec examinations 

The SEND team can be contacted via telephone (01782 883333)

Listed below are the names of staff members possessing expertise related to SEND:

• Name: Julie Adams         
• Job role: Success Centre Manager/Deputy Safeguarding Lead
• Expertise: EHCPs/ Alternative Provision/Autism/Access Arrangements

• Name: Lisa Ackley
• Job role: Assistant SENCo
• Expertise: Forest Schools; Early Help Champion/School Health Liaision/Dyslexia Screeners/ IDL

• Name: Rebecca Somerfield 
• Job role: Vice Principal
• (Line management of SEND)       

• Name: Danielle Rigby
• Job Role: SEND Governor

The role of support staff:

• To take responsibility as Keyworkers for supporting named students with identified special needs and/or EHCPs
• To support the students in class and/or withdraw in order to meet their targets
• To keep accurate records of each student’s progress
• To liaise with the SEND Co-ordinator
• To be active in seeking further training provided by the school
• To attend all relevant meetings
• To support in the Thrive room
• To be available to contribute to the Annual EHCP Review
• To deliver small group or one to one intervention
• To update student passports
• To liaise with subject staff to prepare for lessons and plan for learning
• To run the Homework Club 
• To offer lunchtime nurturing support to students as and when required
• To cover lessons (if part of the contract)
• To liaise with teaching staff
• To know the students on the SEND register
• To know the SEND/PP students
• To liaise with parents where necessary
• To participate in annual reviews for students with SEND
• To collate evidence for access arrangements

In addition, we use the services of the following specialists:

The academy works with the Local Authority Educational Psychology service, a local SEND Advisor (Mrs R Rawlinson), Counsellor (Miss G Pattison) and a Careers Advisor (Mrs K Naylor).  Similarly, contact is made with the Social Services Department and Education Welfare Service as appropriate. We also work with the following services provided centrally by the local Education Authority and the Health Authority:

• SEND Services
• Autistic Outreach Team
• Speech Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• CAMHS
• Travelling Children Services
• Educational Psychology Services
• Ruff and Ruby
• Health services

We currently possess the following equipment and facilities to assist our students with SEND:

Specialist equipment is purchased as necessary with trolleys and desks available to accommodate wheelchairs if needed. Tilt chairs have been purchased and can be transferred to various subjects. The building is fully wheelchair accessible as there is a lift.  In all the toilet areas and changing rooms there are disabled toilets and changing areas. We have close links with the hearing and visually-impaired sector of the Local Authority SEND team.

Students can access specialist equipment from the Success Centre or from curriculum areas. This includes a range of dyslexia friendly stationery, yellow lined exercise books, specialist handwriting pens, lap tops, reader pens and coloured overlays.

Additionally, we have equipment that can be used in lessons to support an individual’s areas of difficulty, including: whiteboards, tilt boards, appropriate font size resources, Dictaphones, reader pens and laptops.

Our arrangements for ensuring the involvement of parents of children with SEND are as follows:

At parents’ evenings you will have the chance to discuss your child’s progress.  From September 2014 the SEND Code of Practice made new recommendations such as the replacement of Individual Education Plans {IEP} with other forms of target setting and monitoring.  Here at Ormiston Horizon Academy we provide all children with SEND a student passport. You will be involved in planning your child’s education via the student passport system. Meetings will be arranged to discuss your child’s needs and all areas on the passport will be completed using information gathered from students, teachers and support staff.

The academy monitors student progress regularly throughout the year from the data, ensuring that they are progressing and meeting their targets. There are regular opportunities to meet with staff and discuss your child/young person’s progress, including ways to support your child if they are underachieving in a particular subject.

We offer parental training opportunities that can be arranged with the SEND department for example: SOS training {simultaneous oral spelling}, key words to take home and handwriting packs. This training will enable parents to help support the delivery of programmes at home. We also support in providing information and resources on a range of areas including dyslexia, ASD, dyspraxia, inference etc. to enable you as a parent to develop your knowledge in such areas and give support techniques to help learning at home.

If at any point parents/carers have any concerns or queries they are welcome to contact the SENCo for more information regarding support needs/progress.

Our arrangements regarding complaints from parents of students with SEND are as follows:

As an academy we believe that the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities of students are best met when there is effective collaboration and communication between school, other agencies, families and students.

If a parent is not satisfied with the Special Educational Needs arrangements for their child, the problem should first be discussed with the SENCO.

• If a satisfactory outcome is not achieved then a meeting is arranged between the parent, teacher and the SENCO. In some cases, it may be necessary to involve the Vice Principal, Mrs Somerfield or Principal, Mr Fitzgibbon
• Parents are given the opportunity to speak to the SEND Governor
• If still no solution is found parents are advised to contact the LA
• The academy will also inform the LA

Our transitional arrangements for students with SEND include:

Before your child/young person joins our setting, the academy’s Director of Transition, Miss Douglas, arranges a week - long transition period for all students due to join the academy in year seven. Those with additional needs also have additional transition days to enable them to familiarise themselves with the building, staff member, subjects and the general ethos of our school. We have regular tours of the academy for school groups or individuals. We offer transition days for all primary schools. This will help to prepare your child to move on to the next stage of their education. We can arrange a buddy system for children who we think will benefit from this. Children are given a timetable of clubs and activities that take place on a regular basis throughout the year and have the opportunity to attend nurture clubs at break and lunch times.

We pride ourselves on our Saturday academy which is an ideal way for your child/young person to meet others who will be joining our academy. This runs before the start of the summer holidays and is staffed by our permanent teaching staff. Our academy liaises with primary schools on a regular basis. Mr Fitzgibbon, students and teachers, visit feeder primary schools with a student roadshow to introduce our academy to your children. 

Parents are invited to attend an open evening to meet their child’s personal tutor and ask any questions they may have. Information is provided to the academy from primary schools which gives us levels and data to help us group your child/young person where we think they will be best placed.  For our students making the transition into higher education and colleges, support is given via taster days. These can be supported by their Learning Support Practitioner, who can also help them with transport issues, practising/planning journeys to their new location, with tours of their new setting arranged by college career advisors. This links in and is supported by careers staff based in our school.

We look forward to working alongside you and your child.